iterative

adjective it·er·a·tive \ ˈi-tə-ˌrā-tiv , -rə- \

Definition of iterative

:involving repetition: such as

a :expressing repetition of a verbal action

b :relating to or being iteration of an operation or procedure

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iteratively

adverb

Recent Examples of iterative from the Web

Science is a slow, patient, iterative process, in which serious people work very hard to arrive at elusive truths and meaningful results—

— jeffrey kluger, Time, "Trump's Anti-Obama Eclipse Meme Doesn't Make Scientific Sense," 24 Aug. 2017
Its processes include ethnographic user research, specification drafting, iterative design, user testing, and so forth.

— ian bogost, The Atlantic, "Why a Toaster Is a Design Triumph," 20 July 2017
Ergo Metroid: Samus Returns, a revisitation of Nintendo's labyrinth-scrutinizing, alien-stalking escapade for the 3DS that in 2017 seems iterative, honed, and if anything, overdue.

— matt peckham, Time, "Metroid: Samus Returns Is Exactly the Metroid the 3DS Needs," 27 June 2017
Given the sensitivity of what some people post to Secret, this iterative approach might seem disconcerting.

— kevin poulsen, WIRED, "Your Anonymous Posts to Secret Aren’t Anonymous After All," 22 Aug. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'iterative.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.